According to the gospel heralded by Paul, the apostle of the
Gentiles, Christ died on humanity’s behalf as “a correspondent Ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:1-7,
CLNT), and thereby procured the salvation of all people from the condemnation
of which our sins have made us deserving (which is, I believe, death). This is
what it means for Christ to have “died for our sins” (1 Cor. 15:1-4; cf.
15:17-19, 56). If a single human is not eventually saved from death, then it
would mean that Christ didn’t die for their sins.
But since Christ died for the sins of all, it follows that there is not a
single person who will not ultimately
be saved (as is affirmed in passages such as Romans 5:12-19, 1 Corinthians 15:21-28, Philippians 2:9-11
and Colossians 1:20). For more on this important subject, see my three-part study, “A
Ransom for All” (http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2018/08/a-ransom-for-all-why-every-human-being.html).
In spite
of what I believe to be the clear scriptural evidence for it, the majority of
Christians deny the truth summarized above. Even among those who may sincerely want it to be true, the mainstream
Christian position is that this truth simply cannot be correct. For, according to the mainstream Christian view,
there are certain passages of Scripture which reveal that at least some people (usually believed to be the majority
of human beings) are going to be “forever lost,” and will have to spend “all
eternity” separated from God in a place of torment called “hell.” For example,
in the “statement of faith” of a popular evangelical Christian church, we read
the following:
“After living one life on earth, unbelievers
will be judged by God and sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented
with the Devil and the Fallen Angels (Matthew 25:41; Mark 9:43-48; Hebrews
9:27; Revelation 14:9-11, 20:12-15, 21:8).”
For most Christians,
the passages referenced in the above quotation are simply incompatible with the
doctrine of universal salvation. Now, I believe whole-heartedly in the
inspiration and authority of Scripture, and do not think that Scripture
contradicts itself. Thus, if these passages really do reveal that some people will be “sent to Hell where they will be eternally tormented,” then I would agree with most
Christians that it’s impossible (and
not just unlikely) that the doctrine of universal salvation is true. However,
I’m also convinced that those
passages which are commonly thought to be inconsistent with the doctrine of
universal salvation have been greatly misunderstood, and are perfectly consistent with those passages of
Scripture which reveal that Christ’s sacrifice will be universally efficacious
and beneficial.
I’ve already examined a few such passages elsewhere on my blog. In
my study on Matthew 25:31-46 (http://thathappyexpectation.blogspot.com/2018/04/the-judgment-of-sheep-and-goats-study_28.html), I argued that
this passage has nothing to do with the traditional Christian doctrine of
“hell.” The “sheep” referred to in this passage will be comprised of those
righteous Gentiles who, along with faithful Israelites, will get to enjoy an
allotment in the land of Israel during the eon to come (which will be the
geographical territory of the kingdom of God after it’s been established on the
earth by Christ). The “goats,” on the other hand, will be comprised of those
Gentiles who, because of their unwillingness to bless Israel during the time of
their “great affliction,” must live outside of the land of Israel during the
eon to come.
The expression translated “eternal punishment” in v. 46 of most
English Bibles would better be translated “chastening eonian,” and should be
understood as referring to the earthly destiny of the nations during the
millennial reign of Christ (as referred to in Revelation 20:4-6 and elsewhere).
In Rev. 2:26-27, we’re told that those who will be reigning with Christ during
this period of time will, with Christ, have “authority over the nations,” and will be “shepherding them with
an iron club, as vessels of pottery are being crushed.” From this verse
and others (e.g., Psalm
2:8-9; Rev. 19:15; Zech. 14:16-19), it’s clear that
the existence
of the nations during this future time will, in fact, involve “chastening.”
I further explained why the “chastening eonian” of the nations is referred
to as “fire eonian” in v. 41. Fire - and that which is connected with fire and
heat - is sometimes used as a figure for adversity, affliction and trial. In
accord with this understanding, I also provided some explanatory remarks on the
expression “furnace of fire,” as used by Christ in Matt. 13:49-50 (cf. 40-42).
Elsewhere in Scripture, places of adversity,
affliction and trial are figuratively referred to as furnaces or crucibles (Deut. 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4 [cf. Ex. 3:7]; Isaiah 48:10;
Ezekiel 22:18-22). In light of this figurative imagery, I argued that the “furnace of
fire” referred to by Christ should be understood as a reference to the
territory of the nations during the millennium (which will be outside of the
geopolitical territory of the kingdom of God). It is to this territory that
unfaithful Israelites will be banished when Christ returns. The same can be
said for the “outer darkness” to which Christ said the “sons of the kingdom”
will be banished, and from which they will be able to see those in the kingdom
of God (Matt. 8:11-12).
In this
study I want to consider another passage commonly understood to support the
traditional Christian doctrine of hell: Mark 9:43-48. As with Matthew 13:47-51
and 25:41-46, I don’t think I’ve ever read an article or book defending the
doctrine of hell that doesn’t appeal to this passage (in fact, the reader may
recall that this passage is one of the passages referenced in the “statement of
faith” from which I quoted above). And it’s not really surprising why this
passage would be thought by many Christians to support the doctrine of hell; after
all, in the majority of English Bibles, our Lord is recorded as having used the
word “hell” a total of three times in this passage alone. For example, here’s
Mark 9:43-48 as it appears in the English
Standard Version:
And if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better
for you to enter life crippled than with two hands to go to hell,
to the unquenchable fire. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It
is better for you to enter life lame than with two feet to be thrown
into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out. It
is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than with two eyes
to be thrown into hell, ‘where their worm does not die and the fire
is not quenched.’”[1]
Significantly (and to its credit), the ESV has a footnote that
provides the reader with a more literal translation of the term that is
translated “hell” in the main text. In footnote “b” for v. 43 we read, “Greek Gehenna;
also verse 47.” What I will be arguing in this study is that the term found in
the ESV’s footnote (i.e., Gehenna) should
have been placed in the main text, and that the word “hell” should never have
been used to translate the term that Christ is recorded as having used in this
passage. I will be arguing that the fiery place into which Christ said certain
people will be thrown is just as earthly
in location as the place where Christ was standing when he spoke the words
recorded in Mark 9:43-48, and that the fate of those who are to be “thrown into
hell” is perfectly consistent with their ultimate and eventual salvation from
sin and death.
An earthly kingdom
In my study on Matthew 25:31-46 I argued that the future events
which Christ had in view in this passage will involve mortal human beings who
will be living on the earth during the millennial reign of Christ in the eon to
come. I noted that it is on the earth that the kingdom of God will be
established when Christ returns (Matt. 6:10; 13:41, 43; Luke 21:31; cf. Daniel
2:34-35, 44), and that it is on the earth - not in heaven - that believing Israelites
expected to live and reign during the reign of the Messiah (Jer. 23:5; 31:1-40;
Isa. 61:1-62: 12; Isa. 65:17-24; Ezek. 36:24-38; Mic.2:12-13; Zech. 14:8-20).
Concerning this time period, we read in Rev. 20:4 the
resurrected saints will “live and reign with Christ a thousand years,” and in Rev. 5:10
we read that the saints “shall be reigning on the earth.” Not
only did Christ himself affirm that his twelve apostles will be sitting on
twelve thrones and “judging the twelve tribes of Israel” during the eon to come
(Matt. 19:28-29), but John also included
himself as being among those who “shall
be reigning on the earth” as “a kingdom and priests to [Christ’s]
God and Father” (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; cf. 20:4-6). The twelve apostles will,
therefore, be among those who, at the time when Satan’s thousand-year
imprisonment ends (when we’re told that Satan goes out “to
deceive all the nations which are in the four corners of the earth”), will be dwelling in “the citadel of the saints
and the beloved city” referred to in Rev. 20:9. The “beloved city” referred to
in Rev. 20:9 is, of course, Jerusalem, and will be the location of
Christ’s throne and the “world capital” during the eon to come (see Jer. 3:17;
Zech. 8:22; 14:4-21; cf. Rev. 14:1).
The book of Isaiah contains a number of prophecies concerning
the advent of the Messiah, his reign over the earth, and the restoration of the
kingdom to Israel that will take place when his reign begins (cf. Acts 1:6).
For example, in
Isaiah 2:1-4 (Concordant Literal Old
Testament) we read the following:
The word which came from Yahweh to Isaiah son of Amoz, concerning
Judah and Jerusalem:
And it will come to pass in the latter days,
The Mount of the House of Yahweh shall be established on the summit
of the mountains,
And it shall be lifted up above the hills,
And all the nations will stream unto it.
Many peoples will come and say:
Come, and let us ascend to the Mount of Yahweh,
To the house of the [God] of Jacob;
And He shall direct us out of His ways,
So that we may indeed walk in His paths.
For from Zion shall go forth the law,
And the word of Yahweh from Jerusalem.
He will judge between the nations
And arbitrate for the many peoples.
They will pound their swords into mattocks,
And their spears into pruners;
Nation shall not lift sword against nation,
Nor shall they learn war any more.
House of Jacob, come, And let us walk in the light of Yahweh.
As is the case with many
other prophecies (both in Isaiah and elsewhere), the basis of the above
prophecy is the “Davidic covenant” – i.e., God’s promises to David, as given
through the prophet Nathan (see 2 Samuel 7; cf. 1 Chron. 17:11-14; 2 Chron.
6:16). This unconditional covenant with David ultimately points to Jesus Christ
himself, who would come from the lineage of David and the
tribe of Judah, and for whom God would establish “the throne of his kingdom for
the eon” (2 Sam. 7:13-14; cf. Heb. 1:5).
Taking into account its
background, there can be no doubt that the prophecy from Isaiah 2 concerns
conditions that will characterize the reign of the Messiah. There is also no
good reason to reject the literal, straight-forward meaning of the prophecy, or
to believe that its fulfillment will not involve literal, physical events that
correspond with what’s being said. We’re told in v. 1 that this prophecy
concerns “Judah and Jerusalem,” and then we find Jerusalem explicitly referred
to again in v. 3. No one seriously doubts that the prophecies of chapter one
involve the literal city of Jerusalem and nation of Israel (see Isaiah 1:1).
Thus, consistency demands that the fulfillment of what we read at the start of
the very next chapter (2:1-5) cannot involve something other than the literal
city of Jerusalem and the nation of Israel. To make this prophecy about
something other than Jerusalem and the nation of Israel is to fail to take
seriously what’s being said. We can’t allegorize or “spiritualize” the meaning
of the prophecy simply because it doesn’t fit with our particular
“eschatological” position, or because a literal interpretation would run contrary
to what we believe concerning the future of Israel and God’s covenant-based
purpose involving this nation.
When we understand the
above prophecy in a natural and straight-forward way, the following picture
emerges: at some future time, wars between nations will be done away with
completely, and the city of Jerusalem will be the world’s political and
religious capital. People from all the surrounding nations will travel to “the
house of the God of Jacob” (i.e., the temple) to be instructed concerning God
and his law. It
is at this time that the temple in Jerusalem will, in fulfillment of the words
of Isaiah 55:7, be “called a house of prayer for all peoples”
(cf. Jesus’ words in Matt. 21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46). Not only will the city have political and religious
preeminence, but it will come to have a preeminent geographical location as
well, with an elevation that is significantly higher than the
surrounding territory (such that pilgrims travelling toward the temple will be
travelling upwards, while those departing from it will be descending).
But what does all of this have to do with what Jesus had to say
about “hell?” Well, a lot, actually. In order to see how, we need to consider
the final chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah’s concluding
prophecy
In Isaiah 66 we find another remarkable description of the same
general time period prophesied in Isaiah 2:1-4. In Isaiah 66:7-24 (CLOT) we
read the following:
Ere she is travailing, she gives birth;
Ere a cramp is coming upon her, she delivers forth a male.
Who has heard such a thing as this?
And who has seen such things as these?
Shall a land be in travail in one day only?
Should a nation be born at one time?
When she travails, already Zion gives birth to her sons.
Shall I bring the breaking and not bring the birth?
saying is Yahweh;
If I am the One bringing the birth, would I restrain it?
says your Elohim.
Rejoice with Jerusalem, and exult in her, all who love her!
Be elated with her with elation, all who mourn over her!
That you may suckle and be satisfied from the breast of her
consolations,
That you may drink deeply and find pleasure from the rich bosom of
her glory.
For thus says Yahweh:
Behold, I shall stretch out peace over her like a stream,
And the glory of the nations like a watercourse overflowing;
And you will suckle; you shall be carried on her side,
And shall be dandled on her knees.
Like one whom his mother is comforting,
So I Myself shall comfort you,
And in Jerusalem you shall be comforted.
You will see, and your heart will be elated,
And your bones, like verdure shall they bud,
And the hand of Yahweh for His servants will be known,
Yet it will menace His enemies.
The “birth” of the nation of Israel that we find prophesied in
verses 7-9 is one that will take place at the time of Christ’s return, when the
kingdom is restored to Israel. In Ezekiel, this supernatural event is
figuratively referred to as the resurrection of the nation (Ez. 37:1-14). That
these verses refer to the restoration of the kingdom to Israel is evident from
what we read in the remainder of this chapter (see verse 15-28). See also
Ezekiel 38, which reveals what will be taking place near the end of Christ’s
reign over the earth (cf. Rev. 20:1-10, where John refers to this same period
of time).
Continuing with verses
15-17, we read:
For behold, Yahweh, with fire shall He come,
And His chariots like a sweeping whirlwind,
To bring back His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with blazes of fire.
For with fire Yahweh shall come to judge,
And with His sword upon all flesh;
And Yahweh’s slain will be multitudinous.
Those who sanctify themselves
And who cleansed themselves for the gardens, going after one in
their midst,
Eating the flesh of swine and the abominable thing and the rodent,
They shall be swept up together, averring is Yahweh.
As is clear from these
verses, the restoration of the kingdom to Israel will be accompanied by a fiery
display of indignation against the enemies of Yahweh. It is with these fearful (but
necessary) events that the blessing-filled reign of the Messiah will commence.
For the remainder of Isaiah 66 (verses 18-24), we read again of how Jerusalem
will become the center of worship for the world, with the nations coming to
worship before Yahweh:
I know their deeds and their devising;
I shall come to convene all nations and tongues,
And they will come and see My glory.
I will place a sign among them,
And I will send some of their delivered ones to the nations,
To Tarshish, Pul and Lud, Meshech, Quesheth, Tubal and Javan, the
coastlands afar, Who have not heard of My fame, and have not seen My glory,
And they will tell of My glory, among the nations.
And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an
approach present to Yahweh,
On horses, in chariots and in coaches,
On mules and on dromedaries,
To My holy mountain, Jerusalem, says Yahweh,
Just as the sons of Israel bring the approach present
In a clean vessel to the house of Yahweh.
And also I shall take some from them for priests and for Levites,
says Yahweh;
For just as the new heavens and the new earth which I shall make
shall stand before Me, averring is Yahweh,
So your seed and your name shall stand.
And it will come to be, as often as the new moon comes in its
monthly time,
And as often as the Sabbath comes in its Sabbath cycle,
All flesh shall come to worship before Me, says Yahweh.
As with what we read in
Isaiah 2:1-4, the state of affairs depicted in the above passage involves a
large number of people from all the nations regularly travelling to Jerusalem
to worship before Yahweh. It’s a beautiful “prophetic snapshot” of the
conditions that will characterize the reign of the Messiah during the age to
come.
The final “prophetic
snapshot” in Isaiah reveals what those among the nations who will be travelling
to and from Jerusalem will see (or will be able
to see) during their pilgrimage. And I must forewarn the reader that it’s not a
pretty sight. In verse 24, we read:
And they will go forth and see the corpses of the mortals who
transgressed against Me,
For their worm shall not die,
And their fire shall not be quenched,
And they will become a repulsion to all flesh.
Here is how v. 24 reads in
the NET (New English Translation): “They will go out and observe the corpses of those who
rebelled against me, for the maggots that eat them will not die, and the fire
that consumes them will not die out. All people will find the sight abhorrent.”
The NET notes for this verse explain that it “depicts a
huge mass burial site where [a] seemingly endless
pile of maggot-infested corpses are being burned.”[2]
We have no good reason to deny that this prophecy foretells
actual, real-life events that will be occurring at some future time (i.e.,
during the eon to come), and that the scene being depicted will thus one day be
a reality. That is, we have no good reason to deny that actual people from
among the nations will, during the eon to come, be travelling to Jerusalem to
worship before Yahweh, and that these same people will ”go out and observe the corpses of those who rebelled against
[Yahweh].”
According to Albert Barnes
in his commentary, the term translated “worm” (towla) is “sometimes applied to the worm from which the
crimson or deep scarlet color was obtained…but
it more properly denotes that which is produced in putrid substances”
(emphasis mine). The word only occurs a few times in Scripture, but in two of
its occurrences it is clearly associated with
death and decay. In Exodus 16:20 we read that the leftover manna “bred
worms (towla) and stank.” It also appears in Isaiah 14:11, where we read the
following concerning the demise of the king of Babylon: “All your pomp
has been brought down to Sheol, along with the noise of your harps; maggots are laid as a bed beneath you, and worms (towla) are your covers.” Here, “worms” are clearly
associated with death and decay.
The “worm”
referred to in Isaiah 66:24 is said to “not die” to emphasize the fact that it will
be present as long as there are corpses to be eaten. This is gruesome imagery,
to be sure, but it serves to further emphasize the dishonorable status and
condition of those who transgressed against Yahweh. But what about
the fire that “shall not be quenched” (or “will not die out?)” This expression has
nothing to do with a fire that burns absolutely without end. Leviticus 6:12-13 speaks of the fire on
the altar as being one that “shall always be burning”
and which “shall not
be quenched.” The same language was used in
Jeremiah 17:27 in reference to a fire that has long since gone out: “But
if you will not heed Me to hallow the Sabbath day, such as not carrying a
burden when entering the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath day, then I will
kindle a fire in its gates, and it shall devour the palaces of Jerusalem, and
it shall not be quenched.” See also Ezekiel 20:47-48. [3] No
one understands this language to mean that the fire in view would go on burning
for “all eternity.”
That the burning and worm-infested corpses being referred to in v.
24 will be a visible sight for those travelling to and from the city of
Jerusalem during the eon to come is further evident from the way the verse
ends: “And they will become a repulsion to all flesh“
(or, as the NET reads, “All people will find the sight abhorrent.”).
Who is the “they” referred to here? Answer: it’s a clear reference to the
corpses of those who transgressed against Yahweh. As if the sight of dead
bodies wasn’t bad enough, seeing them being eaten by worms and consumed by fire
will indeed be a repulsive and abhorrent sight. It certainly won’t be something
that anyone will want to spend any great deal of time observing. But it will be
a fully visible scene, nonetheless, and will serve as a solemn and sobering
warning to would-be transgressors and rebels during this future period of time.
But whose corpses was Isaiah referring to? Well, we know they’ll
belong to those who “transgressed” or “rebelled” against Yahweh. And from the context
of Isaiah 66, it’s reasonable to infer that the vast majority of the corpses
will (at least initially) belong to the enemies of Yahweh that we find referred
to in verses 14-16:
And the hand of Yahweh for His servants will be known,
Yet
it will menace His enemies.
For behold, Yahweh, with fire shall He come,
And His chariots like a sweeping whirlwind,
To bring back His anger with fury,
And His rebuke with blazes of fire.
For with fire Yahweh shall come to judge,
And with His sword upon all
flesh;
And
Yahweh’s slain will be multitudinous.
However, it’s also reasonable to believe that any death-penalty-deserving rebels during the eon to come will,
after being executed, end up among the corpses referred to in Isaiah 66:24.
I’ll conclude this section with the following two points:
1. The words “their worm shall not die” and “their fire shall not
be quenched” refer to “the corpses of the mortals who transgressed against
[God].”
2. The place where “their worm shall not die” and “their fire
shall not be quenched” is a place in which corpses will reside.
[3] Interestingly,
the famous Greek poet, Homer, said that the Trojans
used “unquenchable fire” against the Grecian ships (Iliad 16.123, 194; 1. 599).
Agreed. How could a just God who "remembers that we are flesh" and tells us that our war is "not against flesh and blood" inflict us to not just a lifetime but never ending, eternal torment? To wipe away all tears is to remove all fears.
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